Erik ten Hag has been warned leaving Cristiano Ronaldo out of his Manchester United side is a foolish move if he wants to get off to a winning start.
The Dutchman looks set to bench Ronaldo for United's Premier League opener against Brighton on Sunday with the striker having played just 45 minutes of friendly action during pre-season. Ronaldo was late joining up with the rest of the squad due to family reasons while his future at the club has remained shrouded in speculation, but was pictured training on his own whilst back in his native Portugal.
Ronaldo has already made it clear he wants to leave the club before the transfer window shuts and Ten Hag now appears prepared to go with the other options at his disposal until the 37-year-old can get up to speed. But former United No.2 Chris Armas is adamant Ronaldo should be restored to the starting XI sooner, rather than later.
